


Standing Here So Tall

by Aerica_Menai



Series: Paper Rings 'verse [2]
Category: Magic Kaito, 名探偵コナン | Detective Conan | Case Closed
Genre: M/M, Pride Parades, ace!Hattori, aromantic pan!Kaito, bi!Yukiko, demiromantic ace!Shinichi, set in 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-16
Updated: 2020-06-16
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:29:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,888
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24746119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aerica_Menai/pseuds/Aerica_Menai
Summary: Kaito and Shinichi had made plans to attend the Tokyo Rainbow Pride, but when Shinichi misses out due to a case, he comes up with a backup plan.
Relationships: Hattori Heiji & Kudou Shinichi | Edogawa Conan, Hattori Heiji & Kuroba Kaito | Kaitou Kid, Kudou Shinichi | Edogawa Conan/Kuroba Kaito | Kaitou Kid, Kuroba Kaito | Kaito Kid & Kudou Yukiko
Series: Paper Rings 'verse [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1772665
Comments: 2
Kudos: 41





	Standing Here So Tall

**Author's Note:**

> I didn't think that I'm With You was going to get a sequel...then Pride parades got cancelled this year (entirely understandably); this is me living vicariously through the boys XD
> 
> Beta'd by the ever-incredible @grayraincurtain <3
> 
> Title from Paper Rings by Taylor Swift

Kaito and Shinichi had made plans to attend Tokyo Rainbow Pride months in advance – before Valentine’s Day, even. 

But the same week the festivities began marked the appearance of a particularly clever and vicious killer; Shinichi had hoped to have the criminal caught by the end of the week, but it quickly became apparent this killer was serial, and both Hattori and Hakuba were called in to help Division One solve the case. It took just under a month thanks to all three detectives’ frantic efforts, the serial killer finally brought to justice; Shinichi slept for two days straight afterwards, and only when he woke up did he remember his promise to Kaito to attend Tokyo’s Rainbow Pride festivities. 

Clearly that was a long-lost cause…but, Shinichi suddenly remembered, his parents were planning to be in L.A. for the summer. Maybe there was a way to make it up to Kaito…

*~*

Unsurprisingly, his parents had been delighted to accommodate travel to the U.S. for Shinichi and Kaito – what did surprise Shinichi was the offer extended to Hattori and Hakuba as well. “They worked just as hard as you did, Shin-chan, and they deserve a break just as much,” his mother scolded him.

Shinichi sighed; she did have a point. So he extended the offer to both other detectives, stressing that this was a surprise to Kaito and they were *not* to ruin it for him. Hakuba hesitated but declined in the end, while Hattori was excited and quickly agreed. Shinichi could handle flying to America with his boyfriend and his best friend; it could even end up being a fun, uneventful trip.

*~*

Naturally, with Shinichi’s luck (only exacerbated by Hattori’s presence), there was an attempted poisoning on the flight; but with Kaito’s quick thinking, the poor woman was saved and the poisoner was quickly caught. 

After handing the criminal over to the police at the airport and the hectic, crime-solving-filled plane ride, Shinichi was ready to get an Uber to his parents’ place and get some sleep on the ride there. Unfortunately, before he could open the Uber app on his phone, his phone blew up with texts – his mother had arrived at the airport and was wondering where on earth he was, come meet her at the gate!! The security guards were being very nice letting her stay as long as she already had, now hurry up Shin-chan!!

Shinichi buried his face in his hands and bemoaned the loss of his quiet Uber ride and nap. “Kaa-san’s at the gate waiting for us,” he moaned to his companions.

Kaito, of course, lit up. “Yukiko-san! Is that the surprise?” Kaito asked as he started to drag Shinichi and Hattori forward.

“Not really…” Shinichi muttered distractedly as he texted his mom asking her to please keep the Pride Festival tickets secret, since Kaito didn’t know yet.

“She’s…not the surprise, hmm,” Kaito mused as they walked. “What could it be, then, that we came halfway around the world…”

“Ahh, Kuroba,” Hattori hastily interjected, “any American food you’re particularly interested in trying? I’m told that L.A. has some very famous restaurants,” he continued gleefully, rubbing his hands together.

Katio chuckled. “I didn’t really think about it, no – do *you* have a list?” he asked, only somewhat teasingly.

Hattori puffed up, ready to defend his well-researched list of restaurants, but he halted in his tracks at the sight of the car Yukiko had driven to the airport. “Wow…”

“Kaa-san,” Shinichi groaned, “you promised, nothing too flashy – ”

“Well, that doesn’t sound like me at all,” Yukiko laughed gaily as she swept Shinichi into a hug. “So glad you made it safely, Shin-chan! Any cases on the plane ride?”

“Unfortunately,” Shinichi groaned. “But thanks to Kaito, at least it wasn’t a murder.”

Yukiko smiled and transferred her death-grip of a hug to her son’s boyfriend. “Of course Kai-chan saved the day!”

“I do my best, Yukiko-san,” the magician grinned as he returned her hug.

“And Hattori! Welcome to America!” Yukiko trilled as she wrapped him up in a hug as well.

“I – uh – thank you,” Hattori responded nervously, giving her a careful pat on the back.

“Alright, pack up the car, and then – we’re off!” Yukiko cheered, helping the boys fit their luggage in the not-quite-roomy-enough trunk. 

“Hattori, why don’t you sit in front, and Shinichi and I will take the back,” Kaito suggested, mischievous twinkle in his eye. Hattori innocently agreed as Yukiko smirked conspiratorially at Kaito and Shinichi groaned. He couldn’t save his best friend from himself, and maybe this way he could at least rest his eyes. 

Shinichi sighed and closed his eyes at Hattori’s terrified yelp as his mom accelerated the car at speeds more suited to a race track than a road full of airport traffic. “Please don’t get pulled over, Kaa-san,” he grumbled.

Kaito chuckled next to him. “I’m sure Yukiko-san would never be silly enough to get caught!”

Shinichi could picture the wink his mother would send his boyfriend in response as she chirped, “You’re absolutely right, Kai-chan – haven’t been caught yet and I certainly don’t plan to now!”

Hattori was completely silent for the rest of the car ride, and immediately stumbled out upon reaching the hotel the Kudos were staying at for the summer. “You…could have…warned me…dammit,” he gasped out as Kaito and Shinichi joined him on the sidewalk. 

“And where would be the fun in that?” Kaito asked cheekily as Shinichi rolled his eyes at his chaos-loving boyfriend. 

“Sorry, Hattori,” he grimaced as he carefully patted his friend’s shoulder. “Kaito or I will take shotgun from now on.”

Hattori pulled himself upright. “Are you kidding me?? It was pretty amazing, once I got used to it! I just – could’ve used a warning, is all,” he sniffed.

Shinichi hid a smile. He had figured Hattori would enjoy it, in the end; otherwise he would have said something when Hattori got volunteered for shotgun. 

“Alright, boys, here’s all the luggage,” Yukiko sang as she placed all the bags on the sidewalk. “Let’s head up!”

*~*

Shinichi grew more nervous as they grew closer and closer to their rooms – and having to tell Kaito about their itinerary. He was suddenly second-guessing his boyfriend’s reaction to attending an American Pride; maybe this had been a terrible idea after all – 

Hattori bumped into him when Shinichi halted, Kaito and his mother chatting excitedly as they continued onwards. Hattori took one look at Shinichi’s face and sighed. “I don’t know why you’re getting cold feet at the last second, Kudo, but you know Kuroba’s going to love this, right? And I’m actually looking forward to it, too, so please don’t – ”

“Shinichi WHAT?” Kaito yelped from up ahead and Shinichi instinctively flinched. What he was not expecting was the sudden armful of excited boyfriend as Kaito glomped him. “You are the BEST boyfriend, Chi-chan, this is going to be so much fun!” Kaito babbled as he hugged the life out of the detective. 

Shinichi’s smile was huge as he hugged his boyfriend back. “I – I’m glad you’re so excited,” he chuckled.

“Excited isn’t the right word, Chi-chan, try ECSTATIC! This is going to be so epic,” Kaito gushed.

Hattori rolled his eyes. “Yes, Kudo’s awesome; maybe we could continue this conversation *inside* the hotel room?”

Shinichi blushed as he realized that they weren’t exactly in a private space, and Kaito just sighed as he let go. “Ruin all my fun, Hattori-san, I had distracted him enough he didn’t even notice,” he grumbled as he grabbed Shinichi’s hand and started walking. 

“Hey! Not cool, Kaito,” Shinichi spluttered as he realized what the magician had been up to. 

“We’re in America, Chi-chan, people care a lot less here, don’t worry.” Kaito comforted. 

“Still embarrassing,” Shinichi grumbled back.

“Oh please, Shin-chan, Kai-chan is absolutely right – and you might want to let go of it sooner rather than later, if you expect to survive the Pride Festival,” Yukiko warned her son. 

“…Wait,” Shinichi realized. “How do *you* know anything about the Pride Festival?”

Yukiko let out a tinkling laugh. “Oh, honey. I learned a lot more than acting while I was here in America, including quite a few things about myself and my…interests in other people,” she finished, unusually delicately for her.

“Ooh, do tell,” Kaito immediately responded while Shinichi groaned. “Can I please, please be anywhere else while you have this conversation?” he pleaded.

Kaito and Yukiko shooed him off to the other room of the suite, where Shinichi dropped his luggage and immediately collapsed on one of the two beds. Hattori followed a few minutes later, nose wrinkled. “That is way more than I ever needed to know about your mom,” was all he said.

“Now imagine hearing it *from* your mom,” Shinichi grumbled, and Hattori’s face wrinkled even further in disgust. 

“Ew, Kudo, why would you put that image in my head??”

“I’m suffering, you’re suffering,” Shinichi retorted grumpily. 

“Take a nap, clearly you need it,” was Hattori’s retort as he started to unpack.

Shinichi wanted to protest, but a nap actually sounded like a pretty great idea…

*~*

By the time Kaito showed up to their room, mulling over all the interesting stories Yukiko-san had told him about her college years, Hattori was sitting on the couch reading while Shinichi was sleeping fully-clothed on the bed.

“You couldn’t even take his shoes off, Hattori-san?” Kaito complained as he went to remove his boyfriend’s shoes.

Hattori didn’t even deign to react. Well, that was no way to treat a roommate!

Kaito snuck up behind the Osakan detective. “Hattoooooori-san,” he whispered creepily into his ear.

Hattori yelped and jumped, falling off the couch. “What on earth did I do to deserve that?” he cried.

Kaito frowned down at him. “You couldn’t even bother to take off Shinichi’s shoes before he fell asleep?? And *then* you ignore me?”

“Alright, I’ll admit I should have taken off Kudos’ shoes, but ignoring you? It wasn’t on purpose!” Hattori grumbled as he rubbed his sore elbow. 

“Hmm,” Kaito mumbled, glaring at him.

“Honest! I just got really into this book – ”

“Alright, you two – enough,” Shinichi grumbled from the bed. “You’re both being loud, time to be quiet now.”

They both turned to stare at the facedown detective. “Is…is he still asleep?” Kaito whispered.

Hattori frowned. “It’s unlikely that he would be asleep and saying exactly what he needed to in order to quiet us – ” 

“You assholes woke me up, and if I can’t fall back asleep soon, I will be holding both of you responsible,” Shinichi growled.

Hattori and Kaito exchanged glances; fair enough. Hattori went back to reading and Kaito got ready for bed – quietly – before joining Shinichi on the bed. (Hattori had already agreed to sleep on the couch, which was surprisingly comfortable. There were perks to travelling with Kudo family; fancy hotels with comfortable furniture was just one of them.)

*~*

The next morning, Yukiko peeked in to see how the boys were doing. Hattori and Shinichi were still sleeping, but Kaito was sitting up, reading something in bed. 

Yukiko gestured that he was welcome to come join her in the other room, and Kaito was quick to signal his agreement. He carefully exited the bed and quietly padded over to follow her. The breakfast spread she had ordered was massive – although, what else to expect in America, Kaito realized. He zeroed in on the chocolate chip pancakes, and Yukiko chuckled. “You never change, do you, Kai-chan?”

“I can’t help it if they’re the breakfast of champions,” Kaito argued as he piled a stack onto his plate.

Yukiko shook her head but filled a plate with a selection of items – some scrambled eggs, bacon, a croissant – and poured herself a cup of tea. “Would you like some as well?” she asked.

Kaito nodded as he chewed on a mouthful of pancake. Yukiko poured him a cup and took a sip of her own. Americans tried, but somehow even their best tea – and Yukiko always made sure to ask for the best – didn’t quite taste right. Still, mediocre tea was better than no tea at all; and so she and Kaito ate their breakfast and sipped their tea in an uncharacteristic silence.

Yukiko was happy to enjoy the silence – there was not going to be much of it, what with Hattori and all the Americans around – but Kaito looked like he had something he wanted to say, even if he wasn’t quite sure how to say it…or whether to say it at all.

“Something on your mind, Kai-chan?” she asked.

He fidgeted, staring down at his pancakes before shooting her a glance. “I guess…it’s silly.”

Yukiko just raised an eybrow.

Kaito sighed. “I just…I’m a little worried that Shinichi went to all the effort of…” He waved a hand. “All of this. I appreciate it, and I understand that it’s because we missed out on other plans, but – ” He swallowed. “This is…so much. And I just can’t help wondering…if I’m really worth – ”

“Don’t you finish that sentence, Kai-chan,” Yukiko rapped out, and Kaito immediately clamped his mouth shut. Yukiko sighed. “Shin-chan loves you – so much – and honestly, it wasn’t any trouble on our end to make this happen. I know it’s a little overwhelming, but – he just wants to spoil you a little, Kai-chan. It means a lot to him.”

Kaito sighed. “I know, that’s not – ” He ruffled his hair agitatedly. “I appreciate what he does for me, I just…I worry that, in doing so, he’s putting himself in…uncomfortable situations.” He gave her a significant glance.

Yukiko couldn’t help laughing. “Oh, Kai-chan, is that what you’re really worried about? Shin-chan might act like he’s never stepped outside Japan, but he’s definitely been to an American Halloween or two growing up; he isn’t nearly as unprepared as you think.”

“Please don’t pull out any of the pictures,” came a disgruntled retort from the doorway as Shinichi appeared, rubbing at his eyes.

Yukiko lit up. “That’s a great idea, Shin-chan! I wish I had thought to bring the albums, but I kept the best ones on my phone,” Yukiko chattered as she started to scroll.

Kaito chuckled and started to pour coffee as Shinichi gave him a desperate, begging glance. “Here, drink your coffee while I take a look at baby Shinichi at Halloween,” he giggled. Shinichi glared at him but buried his face in his coffee mug as his mother and his boyfriend cooed over the pictures. Deciding discretion was the better part of valor, Shinichi retreated to the bedroom and left behind the traitors and the embarrassing memories.

*~*

Shinichi was doing something on his phone when Kaito swept in, giggling. “No comments, or you’re sleeping on the couch tonight,” he immediately threatened. 

Kaito pouted but nodded, glancing at Hattori. “Is he still sleeping?”

Shinichi shrugged. “He has the most normal sleeping schedule of the three of us, which means his was the most disrupted; let him sleep.”

“Oh, I wasn’t planning to,” Kaito responded, putting on an air of offense when Shinichi shot him a suspicious glance. “Chi-chan! You don’t believe me?” 

Shinchi just raised an eyebrow. Kaito chuckled and relaxed. “Really, Chi-chan, I’m happy to let him sleep; I was just wondering about his list of restaurants he had mentioned, that’s all.”

At the word “restaurants,” Hattori immediately shot upright, Dracula-style. “Yessss,” he hissed. 

Kaito and Shinichi both stared at him, open-mouthed. Hattori whipped around to glare at them. “Are we going to one now, or not?” he demanded.

Shinichi glanced nervously at Kaito, who stared wide-eyed back at him. “I – we just had breakfast, so…probably not for a while longer?”

“Then I’m going back to sleep – and do not wake me until we’re going out,” Hattori grumbled, before lying back down and – presumably – going back to sleep.

Shinichi and Kaito shared another surprised glance before tiptoeing out of the room, leaving Hattori to sleep in peace.

“That…was very unexpected,” Kaito finally managed.

Shinichi nodded slowly. “Guess we’re going out for lunch.”

“Great! Where to?” came Yukiko’s voice from behind them unexpectedly. 

Both boys hushed her immediately, waiting to hear if Hattori had heard and awoken again. When their room stayed silent, they let out a sigh of relief. “Hattori has a list of places he wants to eat, but…we should probably let him sleep until we’re actually going out,” Shinichi explained quickly.

“Yeah, or else,” Kaito finished.

Yukiko looked at both of the boys in front of her, raising an eyebrow. “I really don’t want to know, do I?”

“Nope,” they chorused.

“Fair enough. Anyone up for some card games?” she asked as she held up a deck.

*~*

Card games between three competitive players, two of whom could count cards and two of whom were experts at sleight-of-hand tricks did not end well; Shinichi had no idea what any of them were thinking that this could possibly be a good idea, but their first few attempts quickly dissolved into accusations and insults, so Shinichi put a halt to things sooner rather than later.

Instead, he redirected the group towards some planning for their visit to the festival; figuring out where they were in relation to the festivities, how they would get there and back, researching when everything started and what exactly was happening where…

*~*

They had barely gotten started when Hattori came stumbling in, mumbling “Fooood” in a particularly zombie-like manner. 

Shinichi rolled his eyes, while Kaito and Yukiko shared excited grins. “Any ideas?” Shinichi asked Hattori sarcastically.

The Osakan lit up. “There’s supposed to be this amazing ramen place not too far from here! We can experiment with more Western food over the next few days, but I thought a little taste of home our first day here would be nice.”

Shinichi smiled. “That sounds…really nice, actually.”

Hattori beamed proudly. 

They quickly headed out to the ramen restaurant and had pretty close to authentic ramen, to the surprise of most of the group; Hattori was just smug that his chosen restaurant had gone over so well. 

Afterwards, stomachs full, they headed back the hotel, where Shinichi once again started to plan their visit to the Pride Festival. 

Hattori waved Shinichi off, saying he didn’t care, he was just planning to wander wherever, and went back to their room to keep reading his book.

Kaito and Shinichi pored over the website and the map they had posted, with Yukiko peering over their shoulders. Kaito was, predictably, very keen on visiting the Jewel’s Catch 1 area – even though neither he nor Shinichi could figure out exactly what it was from the surprisingly-bare-of-details website – and both boys agreed that the carnival looked fun. Aside from that, they were both interested in the promised attractions along Santa Monica Boulevard; but all three areas could easily be traversed over the course of two days, so there was no need to rush through any of them. 

Near the end of their planning, Shinichi turned to his mother, brows slightly wrinkled. “Kaa-san, I know you told me you were getting four tickets, in case Hakuba-san wanted to come – what happened to it?”

Yukiko just blinked at him. “Oh, I thought that was obvious. I’m using it in his place!”

Shinichi’s mouth dropped open while Kaito started grinning widely. “Oh, this is going to be amazing,” he breathed excitedly, rubbing his hands together, while Shinichi couldn’t help imagining all the horribly embarrassing ways this event could go with Yukiko along for the ride. 

“It will definitely be…unforgettable,” Shinichi finally responded feebly.

Kaito and Yukiko both hugged him. “Don’t worry, Shin-chan, I’ll be on my best behavior!”

Shinichi sighed. “Your best behavior usually still, somehow, ends with my dignity going out the window,” he muttered, even as he wrapped his arms around them in a halfhearted return of their hug. 

*~*

The days until the festival were spent relatively quietly. Shinichi and Hattori caught up on their sleep – Kaito and Yukiko sharing breakfast while the two detectives slept in became habit. Yukiko took Kaito shopping a few times, leaving Shinichi and Hattori to relax in the hotel room, and they would come back with arms full of shopping bags, Kaito having picked up at least one thing for Shinichi while they were out. 

Any time Shinichi tried to remind either his mother or his boyfriend that there was such a thing as limited luggage space, they waved him off. “You worry too much, Shin-chan, I already promised Yuusaku I’d take care of the shipping fees!” Yukiko would chirp, and that was the end of it, in her opinion and Kaito’s. Eventually Shinichi just gave up trying to constrain them.

When Kaito wasn’t getting taken out on shopping sprees, he would coax Shinichi into showing him around L.A. – Shinichi had been far more often than Kaito, after all, and Kaito wanted to see the parts of L.A. that his boyfriend most enjoyed. Sometimes Hattori would join them, sometimes he would continue his quest to eat his way through all of L.A.’s restaurants, and sometimes he preferred to enjoy reading and room service inside the comforts of the hotel room. 

Shinichi enjoyed getting to show his boyfriend the parts of L.A. that his magpie mother tended to overlook – the smaller, quieter areas strewn with cafes and bookstores that an enterprising detective could stumble upon while exploring the city; hidden treasures that Shinichi was happy to reveal for his boyfriend. 

*~*

All too soon, the festival was upon them. Yukiko made sure that each of the boys was well-dressed for it – comfortable clothes, of course, but also sporting painted flags on their cheeks. Kaito had the aromantic flag on his left cheek and the pansexual flag on his right; Shinichi had the demiromantic and asexual flags on his left and right cheeks, while Hattori was just sporting the asexual flag on his right cheek. 

Yukiko didn’t only have bisexual flags on both of her cheeks, but also glitter dusted all over her face and neck, not to mention wearing a black crop top with a bi-colored unicorn on it. (Kaito had been excited to get covered in glitter himself, until Shinichi swore that if Kaito took that route, Shinichi would not be sharing a bed with him for at least a week – or until all the glitter had time to fall off. Kaito had pouted but in the end, he turned down Yukiko’s offered glitter.)

Shinichi was trying to ignore his mother’s outfit, focusing on the fact that even though he and Kaito had missed the Tokyo Rainbow Pride, they were still getting to celebrate. Halfway around the world, and they were getting another chance to spread their wings and show the world who they were – to revel in it instead of holding it in.

Shinichi kissed Kaito on the cheek. “You know I love you, right?”

Kaito threw his arms around him, grin wide and bright. “I do! And I love you too. What brought this on?”

Shinichi shrugged, blushing a little. “Dunno, I’m just…I’m happy. Excited that we’re doing this, and…excited that we’re doing it together.”

Kaito’s smile grew even wider. “I’m excited too, Chi-chan. Let’s get out there and strut our stuff!”

And that’s exactly what they did.


End file.
